Mohammad Mahmudullah, the Bangladesh all-rounder, led a strong fightback by the home side with a maiden half-century on the third day of the first Test against India in Chittagong.

Mahmudullah made a career-best 69 and his 108-run partnership with the wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim, who made 44, rallied Bangladesh from 98 for six to end the innings on 242, only one behind India's total.

India's openers then regained some of the initiative with a 90-run stand for the first wicket in their second innings, a partnership ended by Shakib Al Hasan's dismissal of Virender Sehwag as the visitors reached 122 for one at the close. Gautam Gambhir was three short of a half-century and the nightwatchman Amit Mishra on 24 when bad light ended play early.

Fog and gloom had again delayed the start by an hour but India's bowlers made steady inroads, quickly regaining the momentum they had generated before play was halted yesterday afternoon.

The overnight batsman Mohammad Ashraful was off the mark with an edged-boundary that VVS Laxman failed to grasp at third slip but his scratchy stint at the crease was brief. Ishant Sharma squared up the former captain with a delivery that pitched on off-stump and flicked the edge, and Rahul Dravid neatly held the catch at second slip.

Shakib, off the mark with a crisply-driven four, had struck four boundaries in his 17 when he was dismissed, attempting one big shot too many. The left-hander slashed at a delivery from Zaheer Khan but only managed to find Sehwag at gully, the stand-in-captain completing the dismissal with a good catch.

Shanthakumaran Sreesanth then snared Raqibul Hasan with a lifting delivery that pitched just outside off and the batsman obliged with a nick.

However, Mahmudullah and Rahim, who came together just before lunch, batted through most of the afternoon session, rescuing the home side in the process. Mahmudullah, aggressive at the start of his innings but far more circumspect after the break, reached his half-century with a single off Mishra. Rahim had mirrored his cautious approach but was out when he attempted a slog-sweep off Mishra and top-edged to Sehwag at midwicket.

Mishra then claimed Shahadat Hossain, who threw his bat at a wide one only to edge to Yuvraj Singh at point, and Bangladesh lost their final two wickets cheaply after tea.

Sreesanth, who had struggled with his run-up in the second session, finally prised out Mahmudullah for 69, the batsman finding the wicketkeeper, Dinesh Karthik, as he attempted to run the ball down to third man.

Shafiul Islam, who had hit Mishra for a six off the first delivery he faced, attempted another big shot off the bowler but top-edged to Yuvraj at point.

Sehwag and Gambhir drove home the advantage with an aggressive opening stand. Sehwag had smashed four boundaries and a six in his innings of 45 when he attempted a slog-sweep against the turn of Shakib's left-arm spin but dollied one straight up in the air. Mishra then joined Gambhir and the duo battled through to the close.